Volleyball

2010 Brandeis Volleyball Season Preview

Aug 24, 2010

After an up-and-down 2009 season, Brandeis volleyball coach
Michelle Kim enters her seventh season at the helm
hoping to break through in the ultra-competitive University
Athletic Association in 2010. Kim's squad will rely on a trio of
experienced seniors while look for emerging stars from the
returning sophomore class and three new members of the squad.

Leading the way for the Judges is senior setter Abby Blasco (Greeley, Colo./Frontier Acad.). Blasco was the UAA
Rookie of the Year in 2007 and has quarterbacked the team to a pair
of ECAC tournament berths, including a title in her rookie season.
Blasco is a three-time All-UAA Honorable mention and one-time
All-New England honoree who has been ranked as high as second in
the conference in assists and was fifth in the league in service
aces (0.40 service aces per set) and seven in assists (8.64 assists
per set) last season . Blasco will show her versatility this
season, as Kim says she may see some time at libero.

The primary beneficiary of Abby Blasco's setting in 2010 will be
an extremely familiar face at outside hitter - her twin sister,
Paige Blasco (Greeley, Colo./Frontier Acad.).
After missing her rookie season because of injury, Paige has been
one of the top hitters in the UAA the last two years. She was named
a second-team All-Association player and honorable mention All-New
England as a junior after claiming All-New England honors in her
debut season as a sophomore, when she finished third in the UAA in
kills (3.26 kills per set). Paige tied for third in the Association
last season at 3.41 kills per set and was fifth in points (3.86
points per set) while also leading the squad in digs (2.80 digs per
set).

The third returning senior in 2010 will be the Judges' biggest
defensive force at the net, middle blocker Nicole Smith (Marietta, Ga./Alan C. Pope). Smith had a breakout
year in 2009, earning honorable-mention All-UAA honors after
leading the league in blocks and finishing second in hitting
percentage. Smith ended the season among the national leaders in
both statistics, ranking 20th in hitting percentage
(0.367) and 22nd in blocks (1.12 blocks per set). Smith
also finished third on the squad with 1.79 kills per set, second
among returning players. She also turned in the team's top hitting
percentage performance of the season with 14 kills and just two
errors in 20 attempts in a 3-1 loss to Williams College on Sept.
12.

"This senior class has a ton of playing experience," says Kim.
'We're really looking for their leadership to shine through and
help boost the rest of the team."

Among the underclass returners, sophomore Becca Fischer (San Antonio, Texas/Clark) got the most experience
on the team in 2009, starting all but four of the team's 34 matches
at middle blocker and right-side hitter. Fischer finished second on
the team with 92 blocks (21 solo) and was fifth in kills (1.16
kills per set). Classmate Lauren Berens (Boulder,
Colo./Fairview) an outside hitter and middle blocker missed much of
the season due to injuries, while sophomore Susan Sun (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) will hope to break
through as an outside hitter after playing behind two departed
players in 2009 at the libero position.

The newcomers in 2010 represent three different classes. Rookie
Yael Einhorn (Cherry Hills, N.J./Cherry Hill East)
will back up Abby Blasco at setter. Einhorn was named the
Courier Post South Jersey Player of the Year as a senior
for the Cougars, leading them to Olympic Conference championship
and the Garden State Group IV semifinals in 2009. She also helped
the U.S. to a silver medal at the 18th World Maccabiah
Games in Israel last summer. "Yael has terrific fundamentals," says
Kim. "She has the potential to be a great setter."

The Judges open their home schedule on September 1 against local
rival Babson. In addition to their two non-conference tournaments
this season, the Judges will host their University Athletic
Association foes for the second UAA Round Robin on Oct. 16 and 17.
As usual, the UAA is stacked in 2010, featuring the top-ranked and
defending national champions Washington University, third-ranked
and 2010 conference champions Emory and No. 21 New York University.
Brandeis also has two scheduled showdowns with
22nd-ranked Tufts University, the highest-ranked team in
New England. For the first time in 2010, all Brandeis home matches
played in Red Auerbach Arena will be streamed live over the
internet at http://www.brandeis.edu/streaming/athletics/